Pursuing the Good Life

100 Reflections in Positive Psychology

Christopher Peterson

Compiles short essays by one of the founders and leaders of positive psychology

At times humorous, at times serious, Peterson deftly traverses a varied landscape of emerging research, personal perspectives, and big ideas

Pursuing the Good Life

100 Reflections in Positive Psychology

Christopher Peterson

Description

What makes life most worth living? And how can we pursue a good life?

The new perspective of positive psychology takes these questions seriously and provides some useful answers. In Pursuing the Good Life, Christopher Peterson, one of the founders and leaders of positive psychology, compiles for the first time a collection of his reflections on what positive psychologists have learned about the good life, with meditations on how to make it part of everyday life.

With the humor, warmth, and wisdom that have made him an award-winning teacher, Peterson explores a range of concerns on the groundswell of positive psychology and the lessons it embraces. What are the potential pitfalls and problems of this perspective? What are the roles played by positive emotions and happiness, by strengths of character, by optimism, and by good relationships with others? How can we pursue the good life in families, workplaces, schools, and sports, no matter who we are or where we live?

There is no one correct form of the good life, but the masterful insight collected here offers the mindfulness to chase it.

Pursuing the Good Life

100 Reflections in Positive Psychology

Christopher Peterson

Table of Contents

Preface Part I. Positive Psychology and the Good Life 1. What is Positive Psychology, and What is it Not? 2. Parsing Positive Psychology 3. How Do Americans Spend Their Time? 4. Blaming the Science Versus Blaming the Victim: A Third Alternative 5. Perfect People 6. The Future of Unhappiness 7. Positive Psychology and Bullshit 8. The Bad Company of Positive Psychology 9. Taking on the Criticisms of Positive Psychology 10. The Future of Positive Psychology: Science and Practice Part II. Positive Emotions and Experiences 11. What Do You Think About in the Shower? 12. Savoring and Dampening Positive Feelings 13. Who Most Enjoys the Small Things in Life? 14. Fast Food and Impatience 15. Passion and Positive Psychology 16. The Positive Analogue of a Phobia 17. Sunday Afternoon with Daniel Kahneman 18. Money and Happiness 19. Does Happiness Have a Cost? 20. Does Happiness Have a Cost? Part Two 22. Heritability and Happiness 22. Smiles and Longevity: Game Faces and Life Faces 23. Happiness Outliers Part III. Positive Traits and Talents 24. The Last Lecture: A Positive Psychology Case Study 25. Is Optimism Undermining America? 26. Optimism Goes Underground 27. Good Hope and Bad Hope 28. Strengths or Weaknesses? 29. Character Is Sexy 30. There Are No Saints 31. Does It Matter Where We Live? 32. Resilience 33. Growing Greatness 34. David and Goliath and the Good Life 35. Steve Jobs: Lessons for the Good Life 36. What Have You Done for Yourself Lately? Part IV. Positive Relationships 37. Other People Matter: Two Examples 38. Gratitude: Letting Other People Know They Matter Benefits Us 39. Gender and Friendship 40. Tears and Testosterone 41. Dealing with the Pain of Romantic Breakups 42. Happiness, Small Talk, and Big Talk 43. Having a Friend and Being a Friend 44. Infants Get It Right 45. Viral Happiness Part V. Enabling Institutions: Families 46. Books Matter 47. You May Now Kiss the Bride — And Would You Like Fries With That? 48. Living Happily Ever After 49. What Good Are Fathers? Part VI. Enabling Institutions: Workplaces 50. Leadership Style and Employee Well-Being 51. Doing the Right Thing 52. Positive Psychology and Assholes 53. Positive Psychology and Unemployment Part VII. Enabling Institutions: Schools 54. Did You Bring a Stuffed Animal to College? 55. Paying Students for Good Grades 56. Teaching Positive Psychology to an Entire University 57. The 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps 58. Doing the Right Thing … With a Business Plan 59. Saturday Afternoon with President Obama Part VIII. Enabling Institutions: Sports 60. When Losing Isn't Losing 61. I Love the NFL, But ... 62. Streaks in Sports and Life: Not for Men Only 63. Brett Favre versus Cal Ripken? 64. Team Sports, Happiness, and Health 65. Team Celebration and Performance 66. The NBA Finals: Does the Best Team Win? Part IX. Enabling Institutions: Geographical Places 67. Geography and Happiness: A Book Review 68. Happy Places: Happy States 69. Are Happy Places Also Deadly Ones? 70. Gauging the Happiness of a Nation 71. How Can You Tell If Someone from France is Happy? 72. Gross National Happiness 73. Positive Psychology and China 74. Gauging the Happiness of Nations: A View from North Korea 75. Happy Places: Third Places Part X. Rants 76. Can You Be Too Cheerful? 77. "Strong" Accents Define America 78. Does Anyone Write Letters Anymore? 79. You Can't Savor a Nutrient 80. I Hate E-mail 81. Technology and Happiness: A Book Review 82. Don't Pick My Brain 83. First, Think Inside the Box 84. It is What it is 85. Upspeak 86. Joy in the Misfortune of Others: Sports and Beyond 87. Bucket Lists and Positive Psychology Part XI. Pursuing the Good life 88. Days are Long — Life is Short 89. I Resolve to Take Benjamin Franklin Seriously 90. How to Smile 91. How to Talk 92. Finding the Right Bank to Rob 93. Ikigai and Mortality 94. University of Michigan Squirrels 95. A But-Free Day 96. Getting Lost in Buildings — and Life 97. Giving Thanks by Mental Subtraction 98. What's in Your Closet? 99. The Good Life: Ends and Means 100. There Are No Bad Racks Index

Pursuing the Good Life

100 Reflections in Positive Psychology

Christopher Peterson

Author Information

Christopher Peterson, Professor of Psychology, University of Michigan

Christopher Peterson is Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan. He is an award-winning teacher and one of the world's most highly cited research psychologists. He holds an appointment as an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in recognition of his teaching. One of the founders of positive psychology, Peterson is best-known for his studies of optimism and character strengths and their relationship to psychological and physical well-being.

Pursuing the Good Life

100 Reflections in Positive Psychology

Christopher Peterson

Reviews and Awards

"An excellent book that takes its field seriously without overselling it." - Barcelona Business School

Pursuing the Good Life

100 Reflections in Positive Psychology

Christopher Peterson

From Our Blog

Author Christopher Peterson passed away late last year. As the World Congress on Positive Psychology approaches (Oxford University Press will be at booth 110), we'd like to pay tribute to one of the founders of the field in this brief excerpt from Pursuing the Good Life.

Spring cleaning is just around the corner. In this excerpt from Pursuing the Good Life (originally published on Psychology Today), the late Christopher Peterson reflects on his own clutter and the detrimental effects of clutter on people.

It's that time again: time to set resolutions and goals for ourselves as we enter the New Year. In this excerpt from Pursuing the Good Life, the late Christopher Peterson puts the spotlight on Benjamin Franklin, encouraging us to take the statesman a little more seriously'¦ not for his political or scientific achievements, but for the way he set and cultivated his personal goals. Peterson shows that whether our resolutions are set in the beginning of January or halfway through the year, Franklin's approach is one that we can all take some notes from.